I've been dealing with frustrating Wi-Fi disconnects on my computer for about a year now. I'm using a TP-Link Wi-Fi adapter, and it's really hit or miss—some days it's fine for hours, but on others, I can barely stay connected for 5 minutes. At times, it won't even reconnect automatically.
I can't use a wired connection because I'm living with my grandparents, and I can't make any permanent changes like drilling into the wall to run a LAN cable. However, the router is right on the other side of the wall. I even had similar issues in my previous home, despite having the router so close. The bizarre part is that every other device in the house connects without a hitch; it's just this computer.
I've done a bunch of troubleshooting: I've disabled power-saving features for the adapter, bought a new TP-Link adapter with an antenna, and tried different USB ports, but nothing seems to work. I don't have a lot of tech knowledge, so if I'm missing something important, feel free to let me know. I really need this sorted out fast as I have a paper due in 2 weeks! Here are my device specs: DESKTOP-FF2N78T with an Intel Core i5-6400 processor and 16GB RAM.
2 Answers
It sounds really frustrating! One thing you might want to check is if there are any other routers nearby that could interfere with your connection. Changing the router's Wi-Fi channel might help if that's the case. Sometimes, certain versions of Windows have known issues that could also be causing this, so it's worth checking for any updates. Also, try to see if there are any electrical wires in the walls that could be causing interference from other devices in your home. Those intermittent drops are the worst!
Is your PC custom built or a pre-built system? If you've got a custom setup, try going into 'manage known networks' and deleting all saved networks, then reconnect to just the one you need. This can help rule out any automatic switching between networks that might be causing your issues.
Yeah, my buddy built it for me! And I only have one known network saved here, so that shouldn't be the problem. Thanks for the tips!
Right! I live in an apartment too, and even if you can’t control the neighbors' routers, interference can really mess things up. Just check if you're using Windows 10 Pro—maybe an update to 11 could help?